A recent trip that included two legs on an ERJ 145 and one leg on a CRJ 200 has convinced me that I need to change the luggage that I take. One of the ERJ 145 legs included a ten minute wait while another plane moved from our gate followed by another ten minute wait while we all stood on the jetway waiting for our bags. Since this was the leg with a 45 minute layover and I was departing out of a different building, I almost missed my next flight. I am much more motivated now to avoid gate checking.
I have a backpack that will hold almost everything that was in my 20" rollaboard. Unfortunately, I have two factors that make one-bagging it difficult for me. The first is arthritis in my spine that limits how much I can carry and the second is that I'm in the military. My short trips tend to require uniform during the day and business casual for receptions or working dinners in the evenings. There is no part of my uniform that can be worn in the evening, so I have to pack either a winter jacket, uniform, and boots or a winter jacket, pants, blouses and shoes.
I'm looking for a rolling tote that fits in the overhead bins on the ERJ 145s and counts as a personal bag by the GA. Ideally, it would have one large open space that took up most of the bag so that boots and other heavy items would fit. It would be nice if it opened fully, had tie-downs, and had outside side pockets. I'd like to be able to strap the backpack to the handle until we get to the gate, so prefer a sturdier handle. I have a neoprene case for my laptop and have a slot in the backpack for a laptop, so this bag doesn't have to have a laptop compartment. The non-negotiable part is that it fit in the overhead or under the seat and has wheels.
SeatGuru gives 18Lx14Wx7D as the maximum dimension for the CRJ 200 and no measurements for the ERJ, but I've seen people in the forums report that their 9" wide RedOxx fit the ERJ and my subjective opinion is that both types of regional jets have the same size bins. I watched another passenger drop his
High Sierra rolling tote into the bin with room to spare on the CRJ 200, so I know that 8x16x13 will fit. Based on that, I'm aimed for a width of no more than 9" and a weight of no more than eight pounds. An outer pocket of the tote could contain my book and airplane pack, to be removed at my seat; I recognize that bulging pockets can change a width.
I'm hoping that some of you will have had experience with the bags I list below. It would be really helpful to hear which ones actually fit in the ERJ and how difficult it is to squeeze them into the bin. I'm also hoping to get recommendations for bags that I haven't found yet that might be better that what's below. I did do my homework in the forums and found several threads that discussed luggage on ERJs, with the bags that might work for me listed below.
The
Travelpro Maxlite 2 Rolling Tote looks nice and opens fully. I'm just a little nervous that it's nine inches wide.
The
Briggs and Riley rolling tote looks just about perfect, but costs $229.00. I'd like to test the concept with something cheaper and watch for sales on this one if the concept works.
The
Travelpro Walkabout Lite 3 Rolling Tote is nice, but it doesn't open fully or have tie downs.
I really like the
Orvis Soft-Shell Rolling Briefcase, but had never heard of the brand before now. At 16.5x17x8.5, it's larger than a personal bag, I really like that it's a spinner, holds a laptop, opens fully, and has nice end pockets, but doubt that the size would work for me.
The
Magellan Getaway Wheeled Under-Seat Tote reminds me of a large lunchbox and doesn't open fully like a normal suitcase. It also doesn't look like it has the internal structure to survive having the backpack rest on top of it, but if it does, the flat top looks like it would support the backpack the best. This is another brand that is new to me. At 14.75x15x7.5, it may be the largest bag available that meets my requirements
The
Travelpro Crew 7 Rolling Tote would definitely fit at 5" wide, but I'm hoping for something a little larger.
The
Kenneth Cole 17-inch Expandable Carry-On Upright has nice dimensions and meets many of my criteria. Alas, it's ugly and upright. While its measurements of 17x13x7 are similar to others on the list, it's an upright. I'm concerned that the GA would lump it with the rollaboards and insist that it be gate checked, even though it's almost exactly the measurements specified by SeatGuru for the CRJ 200.
This thread mentions a few
LL Bean bags. That poster said that this bag fits in all of Delta's regional jets, provided it isn't stuffed full, but that he always has to argue about it with the GA. I suspect that this bag would require me to use a smaller bag as my personal item.
And, of course, the High Sierra bag is proven to fit, but lacks the side pocket or ability to open fully.
My apologies that this has turned into such a long post. I'm in "the paralysis of too many choices" stage and don't want to find out that I chose wrong the next time I fly. I appreciate any insights you might give.